1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the electrical connection of a printer and, more particularly, to the selective formation of an electrical connection to a terminal of a printer using a ruggedized printer cable and associated strain relief collar.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of electrical cables and similar connection members are available for connecting printers to devices including computers, computer peripheral devices, network devices, and the like. A conventional printer cable typically extends between first and second ends and includes a connector at each end. The connectors are configured to correspond to the mating terminals or ports of the printer and the opposite device to be connected. The connectors at the first and second ends of the printer cable can be the same or different, and each can be male or female in configuration.
One typical connection member used for connecting a printer cable to a terminal or port of a printer device is a universal serial bus (USB) connector. For example, a printer can define a USB terminal or port. A USB printer cable with a corresponding USB connection member at a first end can be connected to the printer port. The second end of the printer cable can be connected to an associated device, such as a computer, network device, or the like. That is, the second end can include another connector, such as a USB connection member, so that the second end of the printer cable can be selectively connected to, and disconnected from, any of various devices that may be used to transmit printing commands to the printer. As is appreciated in the industry, a USB protocol is generally used to communicate via the USB connection.
Various other electrical connectors and associated communication protocols are known. For example, another data interface protocol is RS-232, or Electronic Industries Association (EIA) 232, which is commonly used for communicating between data terminal equipment (DTE) such as a computer, and data circuit-terminating equipment or data communication equipment (DCE) such as a modem. Various types of connectors are used for communicating with the RS-232 protocol. For example, a male DB25 connector includes 25 conductive pins arranged in two rows, and a female DB25 connector includes 25 sockets that receive the corresponding pins of the male connector. Similarly, a DB9 connector includes 9 pins and sockets on the male and female connectors, respectively. The RS-232 protocol for connecting to or from a serial port with an 8 position modular jack (such as an RJ-45 connector) is defined by EIA-561. The RJ-45 connection member is similar to a conventional telephone jack but is wider and typically includes 8 conductive connections.
While the USB and RS-232 protocols and connectors have become commonplace in the field of computer related electronics, various other types of electrical connectors are also widely used, sometimes in the same or similar applications. For example, a computer or network device may be configured to communicate with a printer via a USB port, or by using another type of connector operating according to a different protocol, including various types of serial or parallel connections. Thus, a user making a connection, such as between a portable printer and a computer, may be required to provide any of various types of cables. Further, in some cases, a cable with different types of connectors at its opposite ends may be required if the printer and computer have dissimilar connectors.
In addition, while USB connectors and other similar connectors provide effective communication connections between printers and a variety of other devices, a stronger and more durable mechanical connection is sometimes desirable. That is, in some applications, the connection made by a cable may be subject to tension, vibration, or other stresses or movements, which can interrupt the operation of a printer cable and/or damage the cable. For example, a typical USB connector is not configured to resist tension. Therefore, if a user pulls on a printer cable, the cable may become separated from one or both of the terminals. Further, even if the cable is not disconnected, the stress on the cable can affect the operation of the conductive wires in the cable, e.g., fatiguing the cable until the cable is destroyed. For portable printers that are subjected to severe or repeated stress, these aspects of printer cables can be especially troublesome.
For example, although many portable devices, such as printers, are equipped with straps or other means for picking up and carrying the device, it is often the case that the use will pick up and some times carry the device by the printer communications cable. This handling can cause excessive wear on the printer cable and the connection, which can decrease the life expectancy of the printer cable and possibly promote connection failure.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved connection and method for communicating between the terminals of printers and other devices. The connection should provide an increased resistance to failure. Further, the connection should be compatible with connectors of various types. Such improvements are especially needed in the field of portable printers.